Deep in the Snake Pit
by doranelle248
Summary: Upon arrival at Hogwarts, Hermione gets sorted into Slytherin. She knows she is at a disadvantage in the Wizarding world because of her muggle parentage, but by just how much? As Hermione learns more about her new reality, she finds that there are ugly truths in every utopia. With every year that she grows more powerful, yet ostracized from her peers, who will Hermione fight for?


**Authors Note: **

**Hello, this is my first fanfiction ever to be posted, hope you guys like it. It follows Hermione when she is sorted into Slytherin. This probably won't be updated regularly since I don't have that much time to write (unfortunately). **

**Disclaimer: JKR owns everything. **

.oOo.

"GRANGER, HERMIONE!"

Hermione took a deep breath and calmed her nerves. This was it. It was her turn. Her entire future at Hogwarts was about to be decided. She started forward towards the raggedy hat, shooting an angry glance at some blonde, albino, pointy faced boy who was snickering with two other boys behind her. Pricks.

On the train ride to the school, she had run into him while helping a boy look for his toad. The blonde boy had practically exuded privileged arrogance and Hermione had taken one look at him and decided she hated him.

He had stood there in the corridor, striding past her like he owned the place, nose in the air and disdainful expression plastered on his face, and he had _sniffed at her_ with that overly pointy nose. Hermione had snapped. She had demanded "what the heck his problem was" and things had just escalated from there. He had made some comment about never having seen her before, and how she must be some halfblood or something with that crazy hair. She had hissed back some retort and shoved passed him in the hallway, spitting with rage.

Hermione hadn't exactly understood what he'd meant by "some halfblood or something," but she knew he had intended it in a derogatory way. It had made her blood boil, to first, not understand exactly what he meant, second, that the brat could think he knew anything about her without ever having met her, and third that he had the audacity to make a comment about her hair.

Making an enemy hadn't been on her priorities, but she would deal with it, that boy had deserved it. Besides, rich brats were something she had had to deal with on an every day basis back in her old school.

Sitting on the stool, Hermione placed the sorting hat on her head. Immediately she heard a small, gravely voice in the back of her mind. It took her a few seconds and a startled little squeak to realize it was the sorting hat. She had devoured her books on Hogwarts, wanting to be prepared and understanding that she was at a bit of a disadvantage because of her recent introduction to the wizarding world, but nothing had mentioned the sorting hat could talk directly to a student, mind to mind!

Actually, nothing had mentioned anything about the sorting ceremony as whole, not even Hogwarts: A History. Hermione was very glad it wasn't something to do with wrestling a troll, as some of the boys had been speculating. She was sure to be kicked out if that was the case, sports and physical activity weren't her thing.

Of course, she had read all about the Hogwarts houses. Hufflepuff sounded like a right drag to her honestly, and Gryffindor, an excuse for reckless kids to justify their equally stupid and uncouth actions.

Ravenclaw or Slytherin was where she would go, she had concluded. The house of intelligence and wit or the house of ambition and cunning. Secretly, she had hoped it would be the latter, but upon observing the table of looming Slytherins on the far side of the hall, she was feeling some misgivings about her hasty choice. Nervously, she smoothed her robes down as she listened to the hat deliberate.

"My, my what an interesting mind you have, Miss Granger," the sorting hat mused. " But where to put you, where to put you.

"Plenty of courage I see, and an undying thirst for knowledge. Top of your class if I'm not mistaken." Hermione smiled a little smugly at this. She had gone to a private school filled with spoiled well-off kids, but had still beaten them all, their money didn't help them when it came to pure intellect. Never mind that she had not had many friends. Books were good enough.

"Oh and what's this?! Quite a bit of ambition here and a ruthless streak you try to keep hidden. Oh the places you will go in life! But which house will help you along? That's always the question isn't it. Hmm."

"Sorting hat, sir," Hermione thought a bit skeptically, unsure whether the hat could hear her. "Slytherin would be preferred."

"Ah young lady, you would do well in Slytherin. But I guarantee you it will be hard, for you especially, being a muggleborn. Unfortunately Slytherin House is not what it used to be. Quite a bit of prejudice I'm afraid. I could easily put you in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor, those houses would suit you as well. Are you still confident in your decision?"

Hermione didn't understand what the hat meant. Prejudice against what? She had a nasty little feeling that it had something to do with her not being from this world originally, but she belonged; she had magic.

"Yes," Hermione thought with conviction, knuckles white on the stool. "Slytherin House."

"Well then in that case, my dear, better be SLYTHERIN!" The hat said with what Hermione could have sworn was a grin in its voice (if hats could grin?).

She realized the last part was said out loud, and hastened to hop off the stool. Walking over to her new house table, she listened to the booing from Gryffindor and the cheering from Slytherin, a little taken aback (the former of which seemed to be led by two red haired twins). The animosity between the two houses was a well known fact, but she hadn't expected it to be this evident. Surely, they would get into trouble? She glanced at Dumbledore, but he only crinkled his eyes in amusement at the scene, waving a hand for silence as the next first year was called up. Another professor seated next to him wearing all black looked at her down his hooked nose. His eyes glinted harshly and his mouth hardened before he switched his attention to the sorting going on. Hermione gulped, he looked menacing.

Hermione reached the Slytherin table and sat down in an open bench next to to 'Millicent Bulstrode' apparently. She looked back to where the remainder of the first years who were waiting. The blonde prat from the train was looking right at her, eyes narrowed. She threw back a dirty look of her own. Then she turned away, deciding to break the silence between her and the girl next to her. She had promised to make friends anyway.

"Hello. Millicent, right?" Millicent nodded. "I'm Hermione." She said, reaching out to shake hands with the girl. "Nice to meet you." Millicent returned. She pointed to the girl across from them, "This is Tracey Davis." Hermione nodded to the brown haired girl. Then all three girls turned their attentions back to the sorting. After all, they were curious to see the where the rest of their year would be sorted.

After 'Greengrass, Daphne' joined them at the Slytherin table, smirking to Millicent and sitting on her other side, it was time for 'Longbottom, Neville' to be sorted. Hermione recognized him as the boy with the toad. The sorting hat seemed to be taking its time; "hatstall" was the word whispered around by the older Slytherins, and Neville looked nervous. Hermione wondered if that was how long it had taken for her to be sorted.

Finally Neville was sent to Gryffindor, something that Hermione found quite odd given that he had seemed like a bit of a crybaby on the train. He even ran off with the sorting hat still on his head, (Hermione felt bad for him, but really?!). A couple more kids were sorted and it was time for the blonde albino prat.

"MALFOY, DRACO!"

Ahh, so that was his name. It matched his horrible personality. Hermione was amused at what kind of family was big-headed enough to name their son 'dragon.' The hat barely settled on his head before it yelled out: "SLYTHERIN!"

Hermione groaned. She would have to deal with that idiot every day. Now that they were in the same house, she wouldn't be able to just settle for dirty looks from afar. The Malfoy boy swaggered over to the table, looking for all the world like he owned the place (again, it seemed to be his default expression). Hermione rolled her eyes. When he reached them, he surveyed the area before sitting a little further down, next to his two sidekicks, Crabbe and Goyle, if she remembered correctly. Conflict would be avoided, it seemed, for now.

The last of the first years were sorted. Harry Potter, the boy who lived, as several of her textbooks were calling him, was sorted into Gryffindor. Hermione couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. The boy had defeated a dark wizard as a child, what kind of magic could he know now? What could he teach her? Now with the animosity between the two houses, she couldn't question him. One more girl was sorted into Slytherin. 'Parkinson, Pansy' had limp dark hair and a nose that she hadn't yet grown into, made all the more worse paired with the constant sour expression on her face. She sat across from Daphne.

When 'Zabini, Blaise' joined them at the Slytherin table (sitting across from the Malfoy boy), Dumbledore had stood up to say some words. Hermione was less than impressed, he seemed a little "off his rocker," so to speak. Nothing like her textbooks had described, but his overwhelming list of achievements kept her from passing judgement on him just yet.

After the speech ended, Hermione had listened in to the conversation going on at her table, speculations about whether there actually was a giant squid in the Black Lake (which Hermione highly doubted), and if Professor McGonagall wore a wig (which was probably false).

.oOo.

After a dinner that quite surprised Hermione (though she tried to hide it) when it appeared, seemingly out of thin air, it was time go to the dorms. Two fifth year Slytherins stood up and beckoned to the first years to follow them.

"Firsties with me and Flint." A tall dark haired girl called.

She and a slightly taller boy with quite the crooked teeth (Hermione wondered what braces could do for him), started walking down a corridor, and the first years scrambled to catch up. They were joined by most of Slytherin and Hufflepuff Houses. The girl paid the others no heed, but the boy sneered at the house of the badger.

Soon, the Hufflepuffs all headed in a different direction to their common room, and the Slytherins were left to trek down to the dungeons. The dark-haired girl stopped at the mouth of dimly lit corridor, turning her attention to the first years. They were now alone with the two prefects.

"Down this hallway, is the Slytherin common room." The girl said. Hermione could vaguely make out the shapes of the older Slytherin students disappearing into seemingly nowhere. Was there a secret passage way?

"My name is Farley, this is Flint." She announced, motioning to the boy next to her who had yet to say a word. Hermione wondered if those were both last names, they seemed to be so.

"We are your fifth year prefects." Flint grunted.

"Before we go in, there are a few ground rules. " The girl swept the first years with a strict gaze. Hermione thought she was pretty, with dark hair and eyes matched with sharp features.

"As our new Slytherins the year, you are expected to uphold the reputation of this house. If I hear that any of you are going and loosing house cup points or getting detentions left and right, I will hex you. We have won the House cup for the past several years, and we are not about to stop now." Hermione made a mental note of this and resolved to be awarded as many points as possible, however they were won.

"Loyalty is always to Slytherin House. We must present a united front to the other houses, lest they decide they are more powerful than us."

Hermione's eyebrows shot up. This school was quite intense. None of the other Slytherins seemed surprised by this however, Hermione figured it was because they all came from magical families. But she supposed, it seemed like the rest of the school did tend to unite against the Slytherins, so the rules did make sense.

"The second and final rule is don't get caught. Whatever you decide to do, be it pranks, hexes, whatever, do not get caught. This goes along with not loosing any points. There is only so much Professor Snape can do for us." She sent a steely look at the lot of them.

"That being said, Professors Snape and Vector are the only Slytherin professors in the school, if you have any problems, solve them yourselves or go to them or the prefects," she said in a tone that clearly promoted the "solve them yourselves" approach. "Any questions?" No one spoke up. "Good, follow me."

She and Flint proceeded down the hall and came to a stop in front of a seemingly ordinary and blank stretch of wall.

"Provale." Farley told the wall. An ornate door materialized on the stone face of the wall. Farley tugged on the large silver door knob and walked through. A subdued bunch of first years followed her inside.

Hermione nearly gasped at the sight. The common room had stone walls and dark furniture. Green and silver rugs and hangings of different hues as well as portraits (quite curious inventions, with the little people being able to move) lay draped around the room. There was a fireplace that glowed with a greenish tint, and many tables, alcoves, and couches where students could sit were scattered around the spacious room. What had caught Hermione's attention though, was the wall opposite the door. The alcoves were built out from it (each with a table and some comfy-looking cushioned benches), but Hermione could see the wall in the background, or rather, the absense of wall.

The entire back of the room was what looked to be glass pane that gave way to the faint glow of murky water. Hermione realized that must be the black lake. A sudden movement had her eyes widening. _Was that a tentacle?! Maybe the rumors about the giant squid of the lake were true…_ Shaking her head to clear it, Hermione decided she must have imagined it, and even if it was there, there are probably all sorts of charms that were preventing the glass from shattering.

To the right, two wide spiral staircases descended into a dim hallway. To the left, was the fireplace with tall bookshelves spanning the entire wall. Most of the students that were still up and around seemed to be gathered around there, talking quietly. Flint had already ditched the first years and was over there with the other older students.

Farley started speaking again, motioning to the spiral staircases on the right. "Over there are the dorms. Staircase on the left is the girl's dorms, and the right is the boy's dorms. Your chests have been delivered to your room. All of the girls will be sharing a room, the same goes for the boys. Your rooms should be the ones on the lowest level." Hermione inwardly groaned, of course, they would be on the lowest level, because staircases seemed to be a weird fetish around here. But looking at it logically, either those were their rooms for the rest of their Hogwarts careers, or each year moved up depending on seniority, so first years at eh bottom and seventh years at the top. Hopefully, she would only have to deal with so many flights of stairs for only one year.

"Oh and I advise not trying to go down the wrong staircases, they are jinxed." She added with a bit of a smirk as Crabbe who had started going down the girl's staircase, looked up at her. He scrambled to get back up, but the damage had already been done.

No sooner had his toe touch the second step down, that the staircase contorted in on itself, creating a vacuum and sucking him in, then a second later, spitting him out with such a vehemence, that he ended up on his backside a couple of feet from the mouth of the staircase, sopping wet and with with a dazed look on his face. Crabbe retched, and a fish flopped out from his mouth onto the green (of course) carpet. It was like something out of a muggle cartoon, and Hermione found she couldn't hold back the gleeful look on her face that at least one of the annoying trio had gotten what was coming for them.

The entire room burst into collective smirks and sniggers. Hermione examined Crabbe closer and saw that the water from him and the fish didn't seem to be soaking into the carpet, some water repellant charm probably, she would have to research it in the library when she got the chance. Speaking of the library, she had yet to see it, she would have to ask about that also.

Tired but content (and more than a little confused at the workings of this magic school), Hermione joined the rest of the girls in her year going down the staircase.


End file.
